Who has a laundry room section in their upstairs bathroom?

ey143

I've just received my draft house plans from my architect and he seems to think it is a good idea to put in a laundry section in my main bathroom upstairs. I've never seen this in houses before but he says it is more convenient and in line with large houses.

Does anyone else have this and is it a good idea? I would have though the noise and vibration from the machines would be bad and furthermore carrying the washing downstairs to hang outside would be annoying / using a tumble dryer would create more noise and heat.

It may be more convenient to have closer to the rooms but the design of the house does not currently allow for a utility room.

Moomum

I have a laundry room upstairs next to my bathroom though, not in it, it's so much handier but only because I never hang washing outside. If you hang outside rather than dry inside I'd keep it downstairs I think

ey143

Hi
What about noise issues, drainage, possible leakages to the lower floors etc? Do/did you have any issues with baby waking or difficulty sleeping cos of noise or heat?

What was you reason for wanting it upstairs?

Paully232000

I have never heard or seen that before. I would be concerned about, as others have said, waking my baby up when the washing machine is on at night, as it often is.
Much better to have a utility room downstairs so cannot be heard from upstairs and cannot be heard from the living room either. But then if you only have space upstairs then that might be the best option/only option.

Mojisola

Paully232000 wrote: »

I have never heard or seen that before.

I have relatives in a couple of mainland Europe countries and they all have the washing machine in the main bathroom but I think their floors are concrete so leaks aren't a problem.

lostinrates

Mojisola wrote: »

I have relatives in a couple of mainland Europe countries and they all have the washing machine in the main bathroom but I think their floors are concrete so leaks aren't a problem.

Leaks don't have to be a problem anyway I think. The kind of stuff they use it wet rooms could be used. Is it called... ' hardy backer board'?

I think its a lifestyle/moneysaving and priorities thing. We have and would always choose a downstairs utility. We have a traditional house and do 'old fashioned' things like hang washing on lines and airers pretty much year round, though I do now have a dryer the impact on the bill is significant and I prefer to not use it much and washing feels and smells better line dried.

Also, not all our washing comes from upstairs. We use table clothes, I clean with cleaning clothes not disposables, and keep them in the utility room till I have a small wash loads worth, and we have regular dog washing, not to mention house hold stuff like washable floor rugs, sofa covers, other soft furnishings.

I also think, longer term, such measures are going to be increasingly important if not environmentally for those who have no concern then financially.


If you are a straight forward minimum washing just clothes/bedlinen and dry in dryer person, I think upstairs is very practical.

lessonlearned

A friend of mine had a large Victorian house with a huge bathroom - and a limited space in the kitchen so they used a section of the bathroom as a laundry area. They just had wooden floor boards and there was never an issue with leaky appliances.

I guess it's just as easy to have suffer a leak from a bath or shower as it is with a washing machine.

Laundry rooms upstairs, usually adjacent to the bathroom if not actually in it, are a common feature both in Europe and the US.

Hintza

You are employing the architect, if you don't want it upstairs get him to change it. You have to live in the house, not him.

But, what space will you lose downstairs?

ey143

Of course I know I can tell my architect what I want. I'm using MSE as a sounding board to see of this is a good idea rather than not giving any consideration to it.

We are doing a large single storey extension but no guarantee that planning permission will be granted for the area behind the garage (itself an existing extension) for the utility room.

ey143

Actually what is the purpose of a utility room - is it just for washing?

tired_dad

UK concept of downstairs utility for laundry is crap. In a large house traipsing up and down with all the laundry is onerous. Utilities are usually attached to the kitchen. Again does not make sense to bring dirty laundry through the kitchen and clean out. Usually means that there are laundry baskets downstairs all the time esp if high occupancy house with kids.

Property sizes in UK are generally small hence it is what you usually see.

Having a laundry room upstairs is fantastic. No more carting stuff up and down the stairs. New decent machines all have timers so no need to run through the night. It's a much better way of managing laundry. However, I would not want it linked to my bathroom. Better to section off into its own room.

Your architect seems to know what he/she is doing